Gurung Community Welcomes New Year with Vibrant Celebrations

KATHMANDU – The Gurung community celebrated Tamu Lhosar, their traditional New Year, with colorful festivals across Nepal on Tuesday, December 30. This year marked a major transition in the Gurung calendar as the community moved from the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Horse. To honor the occasion, the Government of Nepal declared a nationwide public holiday, allowing thousands of people to gather for a massive cultural celebration at Tundikhel in Kathmandu.

 

The festivities featured vibrant cultural rallies and traditional dances like the Ghatu, Kauda, and Sorathi. While the largest crowds gathered in the capital, major events also took place in districts like Lamjung, Gorkha, and Syangja. In Pokhara, Gandaki Province Head Dilli Raj Bhatta inaugurated a local festival, highlighting the importance of protecting indigenous heritage. Participants at these events proudly displayed their culture, with men wearing traditional Bhangra and Kachhad and women wearing elegant Ghalek blouses and gold ornaments.

 

Beyond the public parades, the New Year included deep spiritual rituals and family gatherings. Community elders performed purification rites to drive away evil spirits, while many people visited the Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupas to hoist prayer flags for peace. Families also shared traditional meals, including Sel Roti and Ghundruk. Based on the winter solstice, Tamu Lhosar symbolizes the "change of the year" and the victory of light as the days begin to grow longer.